The Doll's Festival in Japan

Hina-matsuri, the Festival of Dolls, is held on March 3rd.

People celebrate the health and happiness of girls.

Families display special dolls known as Hina-ningyo on Hina-Matsuri.

The Hina-ningyo dolls used to be placed on a stand with several levels like descending stairs in old days.

Today, the doll sets are smaller with fewer dolls and as few as just one level to be suitable for Japanese houses.

The dolls are usually set up at around Imbolc day, or sometime by 24th of February.

Hishimochi, Shirozake(rice wine) and peach flowers are displayed together.

Hishimochi is a rice cake coloured in pink, white and green and it is prepared only for Hina-Matsuri.

There are areas in Japan where they flow a pair of paper-made Hina Ningyo dolls on a river.

Modern families celebrate the day by eating springlike sushi-dishes and create a Hina-matsuri inspired cakes.

Famous superstition says the tradition of Hina-Matsuri was brought from China, and it still has been celebrated annually in a Japanese way.